The Alphabet of Malec
by brooktheshadowhunter
Summary: 26 Malec one-shots, each titled and based upon a letter of the alphabet.
1. Abasement

**Title:** Abasement

**Pairing:** Malec (Magnus + Alec)

**Rating: **K+

**Disclaimer: **Each and every character mentioned belongs to Cassandra Clare and The Mortal Instruments series. I own nothing except the order of the written words.

**Warnings:** None.

**WC:** 1,400+ words

**A/N:** Here it is; my A-Z Malec one-shots! Please note that I am not sure if these ideas have been done before, nor do I know whether this general idea of a Malec alphabet has ever been done. Thank you very much for reading!

**A is for... Abasement**

"Alec," Magnus whispered at his boyfriend, whom had fallen limp on the couch, possibly asleep. "Get up, Alexander. I believe you're drunk. Go to bed, you may get ill lying out here."

The last of the guests from Magnus's party had left only thirty minutes prior. It was Chairman Meow's birthday once again, and the only one in years that blasted cat had actually been present, so the warlock had decided to go further than usual. His apartment was squish-packed with the bodies of vampires, werewolves, faeries, and even a few minor warlocks. As he had not been monitoring the young blue-eyed Shadowhunter boy close enough, he had managed to get himself completely intoxicated. As soon as the last of the guests had left Magnus's humble abode—if you could call it humble, with its glitter-littered floors and brightly colored furniture—Alec simply couldn't keep his hands off of him, the stench of alcohol reeking on his breath. But it wasn't as if his hands were on Magnus in a sexual way; Alec was a very cuddly and tired sort of drunk, constantly hugging and kissing and burying himself into his warlock boyfriend, who was having none of his drunkenness. Eventually, seeing that his efforts were futile, he had collapsed onto the couch in a heap of dark clothes and pale skin.

Magnus groaned, shaking Alec's shoulder. "Alec," he sighed. "If you don't get up right now, I'm going to put makeup on your face."

Alec stirred slightly. "You wouldn't," he said, crystal blue eyes suddenly visible through a small sliver in his eyelids.

The warlock grinned wickedly, running a hand through his boyfriend's hair. "You're right, of course I wouldn't," Magnus soothed, "You can just go to sleep right there, and I'll get you a blanket, okay? I'll see you in the morning."

There was some inaudible reply as Magnus leaned down to kiss Alec's forehead, who was already fast asleep.

He allowed the Shadowhunter to fall into a much more deep slumber over the next hour. He had been watching some fashion television show, and only turned it off when the time struck three in the morning. Slowly and on his tip-toes, he grabbed a plastic, baby blue bag out of the bathroom and crept into the living area. Magnus sat himself on the floor next to the couch, unzipping the bag and allowing a pile of cosmetics to land next to his feet. He pulled the blanket down from covering Alec's nose, not bothering to hide the soft smile that crept over his lips as he gazed lovingly at his boyfriend's beautiful face.

He quickly got to work, gently applying the makeup. Once finished, Alec was professionally decorated with lively blue and pink eyeshadow, thick eyeliner, bright blush, long eyelashes, and red lipstick, not to mention a festoon of sparkles adorning his eyelids. Magnus bit his lip with a smirk, planting a kiss on Alec's cheek, and retreating to his own bed, silently congratulating himself on his job well done.

In the morning, Magnus awoke extra early, waiting by the door silently, gawking again at his boyfriend's made-up face. The doorbell rang loudly throughout the house, and he was honestly shocked that it hadn't woken Alec up from his deep slumber. Without bothering to check whom he was about to grant admittance into his home, he let them up. Of course, it was Isabelle, Clary, Jace, and Simon.

"I got your message," Isabelle told him, "Is Alec okay?"

Magnus couldn't keep the grin from his face. "Oh, Alec is perfectly well."

"Then why did you—?" Simon began, being cut short by a groan coming from the sofa.

The warlock looked over at the dark haired Shadowhunter boy, who was sitting up groggily, rubbing one eye so the eyeliner smeared slightly.

Upon looking at his face, Isabelle and Jace held themselves back from bursting with laughter, Clary threw her hands over her mouth, and Simon stood there in disturbed shock.

"What's going on?" Alec slurred, still groggy from sleep, slowly rising into a sitting position.

By then, even Clary was smiling. "Alec… um, you…"

Isabelle and Jace dropped the floodgates and allowed the laughter to flow out of them, holding on to each other for support. "Alec, you, um, look great." She had to take gasping breaths in between every few words, the laughter hurting her stomach. "But I think you've been spending a bit too much time with Magnus."

Alec cast a curious glance towards his warlock boyfriend. "What…?"

Magnus picked up his bag that was set on the table and tossed him a mirror out of it. Alec lifted it up to his face and actually gasped at what he saw. "Magnus, you… you utter…I just…" No word was extreme enough for the rage he was feeling, and he let out an angry growl. "Everyone out!" he shouted at his friends, "Get out, go away!" He added hastily, "_Now_, before I send an arrow flying through your heads!"

Isabelle and Jace were both still choking on their laughter, though retreated through the door nonetheless, Clary and Simon hot on their heels. They knew they should probably leave him to settle his anger towards Magnus in private.

Alec's eyes filled with tears, though they were of resentment, as opposed to grief. "I hate you, Magnus Bane. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you."

"Come now," Magnus sighed, "Hate is a very strong word, or is that not what they say?"

"I don't _care_ how strong the word is. I'm mad at you. I'm _really _mad at you, Magnus. You did this to me, and to top it all off, flaunted off to my friends your brilliant creation on the canvas that is my face. You said you wouldn't do it, and you did." He began to wipe furiously at the uncomfortable lipstick that coated his lips.

Magnus sat on the floor next to the couch, the same place he'd sat whilst applying the makeup. "I didn't know whether you'd remember that or not." He made a reach for Alec's free hand, which was forcefully pulled away once it came into contact. "You were drunk."

"I do remember."

"I'm sorry, Alexander."

"No, you're not," Alec pouted sourly, as if a two year old that was just denied a toy. "I don't forgive you, anyway. You're mean."

Magnus smiled slightly at his immaturity. "You're behaving like a toddler, Alec."

The Shadowhunter looked at the red lipstick that now covered the side of his hand, and began to work away the eyeliner, not paying Magnus so much as a glance.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment?"

Still, Alec said nothing.

Magnus sighed. "Alec, I am very sorry. I didn't mean to abase you in front of your friends. If it's any consolation, you look extremely adorable at the moment. Not that you don't ordinarily look cute, but you look especially so right now."

This time, the sour Nephilim gave him a look, sliding off the couch and sat in front of his boyfriend. His face was smudged with black marks, although the lipstick was completely gone from his lips, and the left side of his face, the side he'd slept on, was missing blush. "I forgive you for the vulgar abasement," Alec said, suddenly throwing himself forward into Magnus's arms. "I'm still mad at you," he added, "but I want to cuddle, which is something you blatantly refused me last night."

"You were drunk," Magnus pointed out, "I hardly wanted to cuddle with someone who smelled of alcohol."

Alec giggled, looked up into his yellow-ish cat eyes. "Shut up and kiss me, warlock."

Magnus did as told, pressing his lips to the younger boy's. After they parted, he said, "You haven't brushed your teeth since drinking, you know. Your mouth tastes vile."

He gave an amused look at Alec's shocked expression, waving a finger, causing blue sparks to erupt in Alec's mouth.

"You can do that?" he asked in bewilderment, running his tongue over the now smooth and pearly white teeth.

Instead of answering, Magnus kissed Alec again. Alec wrapped his arms around the warlock's neck, sitting himself in his lap, tangling one hand in his messy bed-hair.

"I love you so much," Magnus mumbled against his lips.

"I love you more," Alec countered.

"I love you to the moon and back."

"I'll love you forever," Alec smiled, pressing their foreheads together, looking into each other's eyes.

"I will love you for eternity, to infinity and beyond."

Alec pushed the warlock onto his back and laid himself next to him, intertwining their fingers. "I'm holding you to that," he mumbled, lips lingering at Magnus's cheek. "I love you, Magnus Bane. I love you, I love you, I love you."


	2. Bickering

**Title:** Bickering

**Pairing: **Malec (Magnus + Alec)

**Rating: **K+

**Disclaimer: **Each and every character mentioned belongs to Cassandra Clare and The Mortal Instruments series. I own nothing except the order of the written words.

**Warnings: **None.

**WC: ** 1,500+ words.

**A/N: **Letter B in my A-Z Malec one-shot series! Please note that the one-shots in this series are in no way connected to each other unless otherwise stated. Thank you very much for reading!

**B is for… Bickering**

"What do you want to do?" Alec sighed, subconsciously twirling one of Magnus's eyeliner pencils in his fingers. He was sat before the couch, legs stretched out in front of him. It was probably around eight in the evening, and Alec was completely bored of hearing his boyfriend's stories about the top twenty best ways to use glitter properly.

"We will watch a movie," Magnus suggested eagerly after thinking for a few moments.

Alec gave him a look. "What movie?"

The warlock stood from his spot on the couch, strolling over to his wide selection of films. He dug through for a moment before pulling one out and flashing its cover at Alec, along with a dazzling smile. Pictured were a girl, a boy, and a ship, entitled "Titanic".

The Nephilim boy cringed. "What is it with you and these romantic mundane movies? Titanic? Let me guess, it's about some guy and girl who go on a cruise together and sail off into the sunset, but not before her evil ex comes into the picture and tries to tear them apart," he guessed sarcastically. "That's how most of your movies are, anyway."

Magnus looked utterly offended. "Well, why don't you try being alive for over eight hundred years? Things get dreary, Alexander, and if I didn't have these movies, I would have drowned in my own boredom by now." He huffed. "Not to mention that is an entirely incorrect assumption for this movie."

"Yeah, whatever," Alec waved his hand in dismissal, "I get it; you're a pretty old dude. But that doesn't mean all you should watch are these stupid romantic comedies, which, to be honest, aren't even the slightest bit funny. Where are the action movies? Adventure films?"

Magnus scoffed, placing the movie on the floor and sitting down. "Well, sweetheart," he said, annoyance dripping from his tone, "I'm terribly sorry my movie selection doesn't quite fit your needs, but it's what I like."

"And what's more is that I'm sure there's a much better way to occupy your time than watching stupid mundane movies in the first place. Although it's not surprising, I guess—"

"What?" Magnus shot Alec the most evil glare he'd ever seen in his life. "Are you referring to the fact that I am a Downworlder? Of all people, Alexander Lightwood, you would be the last I would expect a comment like that from, considering I could easily turn you into a frog if I so wished. Not to mention that we are dating, you and I." There was obviously shock and disgust in his voice. "I cannot believe you."

"I didn't mean it like that, and you _know _that I didn't mean it like that," Alec countered, setting down the eyeliner pencil that still remained in his hand.

Magnus let out a dry laugh, emptied of any pleasure. "How else would you have meant it, then, my sweet? How else could it be unsurprising that I happen to like 'mundane movies', as you put it? Do you have any Nephilim movies that you could suggest to me? Oh, but of course, they don't exist! The only logical explanation in your eyes, I believe, is that you think I spend more time with mundanes because I do happen to be a Downworlder, which is entirely untrue and completely offensive."

"Stop putting words in my mouth!" demanded Alec, "I never said anything like that; I didn't even say that this had _anything _to do with you being a Downworlder!"

The fuming warlock crossed his arms over his chest and let out a sharp breath through his nose. He picked up the movie and stared at its cover for a few moments before setting it in his lap and leaning back against the wall, eyes locked on the ceiling above his head.

"Magnus…?" Alec asked softly, suddenly feeling very guilty for his outbursts. "Magnus, I'm—"

"Forget about it," Magnus interrupted, "Just forget about it, alright? I'm going to bed."

Alec sat dazed as his boyfriend stood, the movie still in his hand, and began to make his way towards his bedroom. He looked incredibly upset, causing Alec's heart to shatter. "Okay… I'll come in, too, in a secon—"

"No. Don't follow me. I just want to be alone. Go back to the Institute. Goodnight."

Alec trudged through the Institute doors, tears staining his face. When he clambered upstairs, Isabelle exited her bedroom, obviously having sensed the boy had come home. Alec ordinarily spent every night sleeping at Magnus's house, so naturally, she was quite suspicious.

"Alec?" she asked, clarifying that it was indeed him, "What are you doing? Why aren't you at Magnus's?" She took a step closer to him, resting her hand on his cheek. "Are you crying? Did Magnus hurt you?"

He took a sniffling breath and pushed her hand away. "It's nothing. We got into a fight, that's all."

"What about?"

Isabelle was surprised when he opened his mouth and began to explain his situation. "It was so stupid. I made some dumb comment on his romantic comedy movies and he got all defensive and started to say that I'd accused him of watching them solely because he's a Downworlder and 'spends more time with mundanes'. Then he said he was going to bed and told me to come here."

"You need to go back there in the morning." He looked to her with utter surprise. "Make things right, Alec. You and Magnus love each other, and it would be incredibly depressing if you let some minor argument affect your relationship."

All Alec did was shake his head, entering his room and slamming the door as he went.

The next morning, the blue-eyed Shadowhunter awoke extra early, realizing that he was still fully clothed in dark jeans and the green sweater Magnus had lent him. Deciding not to bother with changing, he exited the Institute without a word to its other inhabitants. He had been pacing the street in front of Magnus's apartment until finally, his curiosity and desire to see his boyfriend overcame him. He stepped up to the door and silently inserted his key into the lock, entering the warm, familiar place. This apartment had gradually become home to him.

He took off his shoes as to not make too much noise and quietly tiptoed up to Magnus's door. He linked his own fingers together, building up courage, and eventually turned the knob. Magnus lay on the very edge of the bed, arm and leg dangling off, fast asleep. With a pained realization, Alec recognized that he was laying there out of habit. Every night, Alec's unconscious body would seek the warmth of the warlock, thus resulting in Magnus nearly being pushed out of bed. He looked at the television, which displayed the title screen of Titanic. The Shadowhunter took a downcast breath as he thought about his boyfriend watching the movie all on his lonesome. The curtains that ran along his windows were drawn shut, and a few tissues littered the floor. Whether they were caused by the movie or Alec, he didn't know.

Alec, quiet as a dormouse, unbuttoned his jeans and slid them off, leaving him only in his boxers. He pulled a tee-shirt out of Magnus's closet and swapped it for the sweater. Climbing into bed, he pressed himself into Magnus. He couldn't help but think about their argument, and what he would do if their relationship were to end because of some silly dispute.

"Mmm?" he heard from next to him, although he stayed silent. "Alec?" Magnus whispered hoarsely. Alec wanted to smile at his boyfriend's adorable morning voice, though he didn't, too fearful of what he might say about the previous night. "What are you doing here?" Magnus turned his body towards Alec.

"I—hello," Alec said, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"Alec, what are you doing here?" the warlock repeated.

Alec sniffled. "Um, I—Isabelle told me to come here and apologize. I mean, not that I wouldn't have done it one my own. But really, Magnus, I was so stupid. I _am _so stupid. I shouldn't have said anything about you wanting to watch that boat movie. If you like doing something, like watching romantic films, then I want to do it to, if it means putting a smile on your face. I shouldn't have argued. And I shouldn't have implied anything about you being a Downworlder, because I really didn't mean it. It doesn't matter to me what you are; I don't care if you're a warlock or a Downworlder or anything else. I just care that you're Magnus Bane, and you're my boyfriend, and you're someone that I love."

Magnus beamed, as if in relief. "I'm sorry as well, Alec. I shouldn't have argued either, and I may have over exaggerated a bit. I love you, and I never want us to bicker again."

"Right. No bickering allowed," Alec said in a mock-official tone. "Now," he continued, pressing a long kiss to Magnus's lips, hands finding his face. "How about we watch this Titanic movie?"


	3. Cuddles

**Title:** Cuddles

**Pairing:** Malec (Magnus + Alec)

**Rating: **K+

**Disclaimer: **Each and every character mentioned belongs to Cassandra Clare and The Mortal Instruments series. I own nothing except the order of the written words.

**Warnings:** None.

**WC:** 700+ words.

**A/N:** Sorry letter C took so long! I had to rewrite it three times in order to get something I was moderately happy with. There is a light connection between this and Abasement, though not much.

**C is for... Cuddles**

Magnus had seldom seen Alec intoxicated in his lifetime. He had always known the Shadowhunter as being very serious and responsible, and rightfully so. Alec felt that, as the eldest Lightwood child, it was his delirious obligation to act as a role-model for Jace and Isabelle. Not that those two ever paid any attention to his authority, anyway.

"Alec," Magnus sighed. His apartment had only moments before been emptied of its guests, and now there were piles of trash and plastic cups strewn across the floor. With a flick of his finger and a burst of blue sparks, the waste vanished, the fleecy couch cushions fixed themselves, and the lingering scent of alcohol disappeared. "Alec, where are you?" he asked vociferously.

There was a giggle from the bedroom, and for a moment Magnus wondered if one of the faeries had made their way back there, but to his utter surprise, it was Alec. He had never known Alec to_ giggle. The_ Nephilim twisted the knob and stepped through the door, almost falling backwards in the process.

"Alexander Lightwood," Magnus scolded, a hint of amusement in his tone. "You're drunk, aren't you?"

"Noooo," Alec whined. He had changed out of the dark jeans and brown sweater he was wearing earlier and now was outfitted in a pair of Magnus's pink sweatpants and his own inside-out grey tee-shirt. His black hair was tangled and messy, and his bright blue eyes seemed to shine brighter than usual. "I am not drunk." He straightened his back and began to step with one foot in front of the other, though by the time he reached Magnus, he appeared to be already extremely dizzy.

Magnus laughed. "Whatever you say, my—"

Before he could finish, Alec collapsed, leaning himself against the warlock. His hands had found their way up Magnus's shirt and were now pressed into his back. "You're so warm," he drawled. "I'm so cold. Let's go to bed, okay? Okay?"

Magnus finally agreed and he took his boyfriend by the hand. Before he could begin to pull him towards the bedroom, Alec began tugging on his sleeve and whining loudly. "No, I don't want to go there," he complained with a large frown on his face, "I don't want to go in there, Magnus. I want the couch. Please. We can be closer together then."

Magnus couldn't help but grin at Alec's apparent inability to form an educated sentence and the fact that his voice went at least an octave higher whilst drunk. "I have to take a shower, alright, Alec?" he said after sitting the drunken boy on the couch, then added after seeing him sulk, "I'll be right out. If you lie down and close your eyes, you'll be able to see me sooner."

That being said, Alec practically leapt into the soft sofa cushions, pulling the blanket that hung on the back over him. "Okay, okay, okay," he repeated, as if suddenly becoming very interested in the one word. "Hurry up!"

Magnus had just finished drying his hair and changing into a pair of boxers and a green tee-shirt when he sauntered back into the main room. Sitting up in bed was the dark haired boy, his head in his hands. For a moment, Magnus thought he was sleeping upright, until he heard the sniffles. "Alec?"

Alec lifted his head, his face red and tears staining his cheeks. Suddenly, he fell onto his back and let out a loud whimper. Magnus found his way to the side of the couch and squatted next to it. "Alec, what's wrong?" he asked sincerely, wiping a tear from his boyfriend's damp cheek.

"Lay next to me," Alec whined.

Magnus crawled underneath the blankets, and as soon as he settled himself, Alec had wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's chest, resting his head in the crook of his neck. "What's wrong?" Magnus repeated.

"I missed you so much," drawled the tipsy Alec, his breath still smelling of alcohol. "You take sooo long in the shower."

"You know," said Magnus. "I think I might prefer drunken Alec. Sober Alec is never this cuddly with me."

Alec pulled his boyfriend closer and pressed his lips to his cheek. "I told you," he mumbled, "I am _not _drunk." A pause. "Maybe I am. I like to cuddle with you. You're warm."

Magnus chuckled. "You said that already."

"No way," Alec argued, sounding genuinely surprised that Magnus would suggest such a thing.

"Go to sleep, my love."

Alec mumbled something inaudible, then, more clearly, "I love you." He pressed a long kiss to the warlock's lips.

Magnus let out a half-laugh and closed his eyes. "Maybe you should get drunk more often."


	4. Disgrace

**Title: **Disgrace

**Pairing: **Malec (Magnus + Alec)

**Rating: **K+

**Disclaimer: **Each and every character mentioned belongs to Cassandra Clare and the Mortal Instruments series. I own nothing except the order of the written words.

**Warnings:** None.

**WC: **1,800+

**A/N:** Here is letter D! I hope you like it! Also, thank you so much to everyone who leaves reviews. It really, truly makes my day reading all of those comments!

**D is for… Disgrace**

It had been three weeks. Three whole weeks since Alec had heard a single word from his father. It was known to the young Shadowhunter that his father was immensely disapproving of his sexual orientation, although Alec just wished there was someone he could whine to with all his petty problems. Isabelle would only worry and get into trouble with Robert. If he told Maryse, it would only possibly sever the final thread that held their marriage together. He couldn't speak to Jace about it; he had enough to worry about. Clary and Simon, he felt, both were not close enough to him, and would therefore simply make the encounter awkward for everyone. And, by the Angel, he couldn't go to Magnus, of all people.

If he thought Jace had plenty to worry about, which he did, Magnus might have had it fifteen times worse. Not only was he constantly rushing about to handle his continuous stream of clients, but he also had to deal with nagging demands of the Clave. And the only reason he agreed to assist the Clave was because of Alec, so he knew he could most definitely not burden the warlock with yet another issue.

And so, when the telephone rang and Alec picked it up, he didn't know what to do.

"Alec? Are you alright?" spoke the deep voice at the other end. It was Magnus. His voice was filled with worry, not to mention a bit of relief, seeing as Alec hadn't answered his calls since the incident with his father. A few moments later, when Alec didn't respond, he continued. "Alec, are you there?"

"I—I'm here."

The episode suddenly resurfaced itself at the top of his memory, and it stung. Robert's fuming face, steam almost literally billowing from his ears. The anger burning in his eyes.

"I am going back to Idris," he almost growled after taking a long breath.

"Father, please—"

"Enough, Alexander! Do not call me that name!" Robert hissed.

Alec cocked his head in confusion, and then a look of surprise washed over his face. "You mean don't call you _Father_? I don't think I understand—"

"From now on, you will refer to me as Robert. That is, if I ever allow you to speak with me again." He took a breath. "I just don't get it, Alexander. What happened to you? Jace and Isabelle turned out so well. Izzy is a fine young woman. Although I rarely agree with her choices in lovers, at least they are _men _while she is a _woman_. And Jace; he and Clary are a man and a woman. The same cannot be said for you. How is it you find yourself attracted to other men? It is simply disgusting, Alexander. What is it that you like about them? It was a rhetorical question, do not answer that. I wish to remain ignorant to the ghastly interests you have on this subject. Moreover, what of this Magnus Bane? I am sure this is just a phase. By the Angel, there is no way you are seriously… _dating_," he choked on the word, "a repulsive little freak warlock who dresses himself in female clothing of the nineteenth century, now is there, Alexander?"

"It isn't a phase, Fa—" Alec inwardly cursed himself. "Robert. It is not a phase, I can promise you. I'm dating Magnus Bane, in real life, for real, and I won't have you standing here insulting him. I just don't see why it matters what gender I like. Shouldn't my happiness be more important than—?"

Robert continued as if Alec hadn't said anything at all. "What do you reckon turned you gay, Alexander? Me and your mother… I thought we did so well with you children. Raised you right. And now, thanks to you, the Lightwoods are the laughing stock of the Clave. 'Robert and Maryse? Aren't they the ones with that repulsive gay son?' 'The poor dears! May the Angel help them!' 'They must have done something bloody awful to have a son such as him.' So, what is it? What turned you gay, Alexander? Maybe if we know, we can find a way to reverse it…"

Alec was sincerely astonished. He fought away the crushing feeling in his chest, though his voice cracked slightly as he spoke. "What—what turned me gay?" he repeated. "N—nothing _turned _me gay. I was just… just born like this. There's not a way to change me into the perfect son you've always wanted. And frankly, I don't want to be that. I like being the way I am. It's what makes me myself, and I don't just want to use some spell and get rid of it or something… Nothing turned me gay. I was always like this."

"Then, until you change your mine, you are not my son. Alexander Gideon, you are a disgrace to the Lightwood family name. How _dare you _do this to me? How dare you do this to your mother, to Izzy, to Jace, to the Clave? If Max was still alive, he would despise you." And with that, he slammed the door, and Alec was sure he had already begun his way back to Idris.

And here Alec sat, three weeks later, the pain of that night still searing his brain. He couldn't stop himself thinking of Max, standing in front of him and whispering things like, 'How could you do this, Alec?' 'I used to look up to you.' 'What are you possessed by that makes you act like this?' Except Max would never say such things. Alec was sure. But it still hurt, thinking about the disapproving looks of the Clave, and of his father—

Magnus's soft voice in his ear interrupted the thought train. "Are you alright?" he repeated. "You haven't spoken to me in weeks. I keep calling you, but you just answer and then hang up after a few seconds without saying anything. I called Clary to ask what was going on with you, but she just said that you were in a gloomy mood and wouldn't talk to anyone about it."

"I've just been busy," Alec sighed, not bothering to put any effort into it. Even if he would have made it his most convincing lie ever, Magnus still would have seen through it. He always does. "You know, Shadowhunter stuff."

"Alec…" Magnus said, his voice so low that it was almost a whisper. "I want to help you. But before I can do that, you need to tell me where you are."

"Where I...? What? What do you mean? I'm in the Institute…"

"Your room?"

"I'm in my room, yeah. I just don't see how any of this is relevant—"

Suddenly, the beep sounded that indicated Magnus had ended the call. In all honestly, Alec was slightly disappointed. It was true that he hadn't talked to his boyfriend since Robert's outburst, and at that moment he realized just how much he desired the touch and embrace of the warlock. And that was exactly what he got.

The door to Alec's bedroom burst open and in stepped the redheaded Clary Fray and wild-haired Magnus Bane. He was soon caught under the bone-crushing embrace of his boyfriend and Alec did not hesitate to throw his arms around Magnus's waist.

"Clary," Magnus said, releasing Alec and turning his head towards the girl. "Won't you give us a moment please?"

She bowed her head in a nod, a small smile on her face, and exited.

Instead of resuming their embrace, which Alec would have greatly preferred, Magnus sat on his bed, arms crossed over his chest. "So? Care you tell me why you haven't been speaking to me for three weeks?"

Alec sighed. "I told you. Shadowhunter business, Clave meetings, you know how everything is—"

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood, don't even try to fool me with that nonsense. I know you're lying."

Alec wasn't sure how to respond. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet, not daring to meet the yellow-green cat eyes on the other side of the room. He heard the bed creak as Magnus stood from it, taking his hands and linking their fingers. "Please, Alec. I want to help you out. You can tell me anything. Nothing you can say will make me angry with you. Are you upset with me for something?"

"I'm not upset with you."

"Then who?"

Alec took a deep breath. His mouth worked before his brain could, and he spoke without meaning to. "My father."

"What do you mean? Alec, what did he do?" Concern was filling Magnus's voice as he pulled his boyfriend closer to him.

"He, um," Alec cleared his throat, "He left three weeks ago for Idris. Before he went, we had a fight. He—he said that I was a disgrace to the Lightwoods and to the Clave and to Shadowhunters. He asked what turned me gay and if there was a way to reverse it and he called you… he said bad things about you, Magnus. And h—he said… he said that if Max was alive, he would hate me for being how I am."

By the time he finished, his voice was incredibly quiet and muffled, as he had put his hand over his mouth. The backs of his eyes stung, although he promised himself he wouldn't cry. Alexander Lightwood _never _cried.

Seeing the look on Magnus's face, Alec silently cursed himself. He knew this would happen; Magnus worrying about yet another thing caused by him.

"No, no, I shouldn't have told you that. I'm sorry—"

"Alec," Magnus interrupted, "Don't apologize. I'm glad you told me. I'm so sorry that happened. Your father had no right to say those things to you. You are _not _a disgrace. The only disgrace here is your father, speaking to his own child that way. Alec, Max would love you no matter what gender you prefer. Max loved you, and he still loves you."

Alec's eyes stung more intensely, and he squeezed his eyes shut in the hopes of not becoming teary-eyed. He was suddenly enveloped in the warm embrace of his warlock boyfriend, who was holding Alec so tightly he was sure his bones were about to break. But he didn't mind.

"It's okay if you want to cry," Magnus whispered in his ear. "You don't need to act so strong all the time."

And Alec did cry. He buried his face in the crook of Magnus's neck, tears dampening his midnight blue blazer.

"I love you," Magnus said in a low voice, pulling Alec more tightly into his body.

Alec didn't respond, but he was sure Magnus knew that he did love him, too. Magnus always knew.


	5. Eskimo

**Title:** Eskimo

**Pairing: **Malec (Magnus + Alec)

**Rating: **K+

**Disclaimer: **Each and every character mentioned belongs to Cassandra Clare and The Mortal Instruments series. I own nothing except the order of the written words.

**Warnings: **None.

**WC: ** 1k+

**A/N: **And here is E! Thank you for reading, and please do leave reviews! Even if you absolutely hate it, I want to know so that I can fix any errors I make in my writing and make my fanfiction better. I am so sorry this one took so long!

**E is for… Eskimo**

"I'm freezing," Alec complained in dull tone, pulling the thick coat more tightly around himself. "Remind me again why you decided to take me to Nunavut, of all places?"

Magnus, who had only just before been zipping up his jacket, turned to his boyfriend. "I thought it would be fun. Canada is the place with moose, right? And bacon, and bagged milk? All of my four hundred years and I've never even been to Canada." A pause. "You don't think it'll be fun?"

_Of course it'll be fun. I'm with you, aren't I? _thought Alec. Instead of actually saying this, he shrugged. "I don't know. Canada is okay, I guess, but why Nunavut? You could have taken us to somewhere lower south, like Ontario, where it's at least slightly warmer. And it isn't as if we don't get plenty of snow in New York as it is."

Magnus shook his head, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile. "You're just full of complaints, aren't you?" He completed in zipping his jacket and threw his arm around Alec's shoulder in an attempt to warm the Nephilim. "It can't be helped now. We're in Nunavut, and here's where we'll stay. I'm far too tired to create another portal."

"And where is _here_, anyway? It looks like we're in the middle of nowhere, Magnus." Alec glanced around at the rolling hills of snow.

Magnus rolled his eyes, though the grin on his face remained. "I thought we could stay somewhere more secluded so that we can spend more… private time together." He smirked as Alec's cheeks reddened slightly. "There's a house a little bit away from here that we can use. Right past that hill. Three miles to be exact." He pointed forwards.

Alec stepped back as if someone had shoved him. "You mean we have to walk _all that way_? In the freezing cold?" He wrapped his arms around himself as if the mere thought chilled him to the bone.

"You know, for a fearless demon hunter, you sure are a big baby when it comes to the cold," Magnus teased.

Alec jutted out his bottom lip, furrowed his eyebrows, and crossed his arms over his chest in a pout. "Yeah, whatever. Can't you just fly us over there or something?"

The warlock smirked. "Oh, I definitely could. But I'm not going to."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" demanded Alec, mouth agape, a look of anger passing over his features.

Magnus mimicked his boyfriend's pout. "What, you don't want to spend time with me?" he questioned, giving him the best sad-puppy-dog-eyes he could muster.

Alec scoffed loudly, and thus their journey began.

They had been walking for no more than an hour, and still all they were able to see were piles of heaping, crystal snow. Ordinarily, something so fluffy-looking would have been heavily coaxing Alec to lie down if it weren't for the raging cold winds that reminded him that these were glacial hills of crushed ice, essentially. And so the Shadowhunter stomped a few feet ahead of his warlock boyfriend, intent in his role of ten-year-old-boy-throwing-a-fit-and-giving-the-silent-treatment.

"Alec," Magnus cooed, finally catching up to the quick Nephilim, "Look, we only have one and a half miles to go."

Alec provided no sense that he had heard Magnus aside from his defiant crossing-of-arms-over-the-chest and the crinkling of his bright pink nose.

"Come on, you can't give me the silent treatment forever. You haven't spoken to me for the past hour, which is the total opposite of what I was aiming to get out of this trip. If you talk to me now, I'll conjure you up a heated blanket or something."

Although his eyes shot daggers at his boyfriend, Alec sighed. "Okay. I'm talking to you now."

Magnus sent him a warm smile and laced their gloved hands together. He slipped the other hand's glove off with his teeth and, with a flick of his finger and a burst of blue sparks, a warm blanket suddenly enveloped them both.

"I really don't see the point of this," Alec barked lowly, his shivering ceasing, and his side squished against Magnus's as to keep extra warm.

"Point of what, my love?" Magnus chattered, conveying his words extra-lovingly, just to piss off his already annoyed boyfriend. Alec always looked adorable when he was irritated.

Before replying, Alec let out a grunt. "Why you insist upon wasting our time. I mean, we've literally just been spending the past hour of our lives walking in the freezing cold in complete silence, when we could be at home, warm and actually speaking."

"Well what's the fun in that?"

"What's the fun in _this_?" Alec retorted.

Magnus sighed. "Point taken." He flicked his ungloved fingers and a small, wooden sled appeared before the two.

Alec stared in astonishment for a few moments. "You're serious?"

"Oh, baby, am I serious," he flashed a toothy grin, stepping onto the back of the sled. "Hop on, then."

Tentatively, Alec sat on the minimal space in front of Magnus, and as soon as his butt hit the cold wood, they took off. His back crashed into Magnus's chest, although the warlock remained solid, chuckling softly and sending a vibration throughout Alec's entire body.

In less than twenty minutes, they had arrived at the small wooden cabin. They hadn't spoken a word on the sled, although it wasn't as awkward or angry as previous. With Magnus's arms wrapped around Alec's stomach, his nose against the Shadowhunter's ear, blanket wrapped around them both, there was no need for words.

"We're here," Magnus told Alec, whose eyes were half-lidded, his body pressed against the warlock's. "Come on, Alec. If you get up, I'll make us some hot chocolate."

Alec sat up slowly, reaching his arms out in front of him as his boyfriend stood. "Carry me?" he requested, apparently continuing his ten-year-old act.

Magnus chuckled and lifted Alec in a reverse piggy-back, with Alec's arms around his neck and legs around his waist. "Let's go get some hot chocolate." He glanced lovingly at his boyfriend. "You know, you kind of look like an eskimo in that jacket."

Instead of responding, Alec let out a low hum against the warm crook of Magnus's neck. Perhaps this vacation wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
